How to Make Gold 3D Printed Cake Toppers with PLA and Spray Paint

Hi friends! Welcome back to Alina Craft Studio. Today I want to show you how I make gold 3D printed cake toppers using white PLA filament and metallic spray paint.

Many customers ask for elegant gold cake toppers and send examples that look like acrylic. I do not have a laser cutter in my workshop, so I wanted a way to create a similar premium look with the tools I already use for 3D printing.

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Why I Tried Spray Paint Instead of Gold PLA #

I tried a few different gold filaments, but I was not completely happy with the color. Some looked too yellow, and others looked too bronze. For cake toppers, I wanted a softer metallic gold finish that looked more polished.

The solution was simple: print the topper in white PLA, then add several light coats of metallic spray paint. This gave me the gold finish I wanted without needing special filament or extra equipment.

What I Used #

For this project, I used:

• GenShapr to create the 3D cake topper model
• Bambu Lab P1S 3D Printer
• Bambu Lab 3D Printer White Filament
• Rust-Oleum Metallic Spray
• A cardboard box or protected outdoor work surface
• Gloves for handling the topper while painting

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Print the Cake Topper in White PLA #

I print the cake topper in white filament first. White PLA works well because it gives the spray paint a clean base and keeps the stick portion white if you choose not to paint that part.

I made the designs in GenShapr. I already have a detailed tutorial on my YouTube channel showing how to create a 3D model in GenShapr, so this video focuses mainly on the painting process. If you want to learn that part first, watch my related GenShapr cake topper tutorial: How to Make 3D Printed Cake Toppers with GenShapr.

Here is the before and after idea: the same white printed topper can turn into a metallic gold topper with only spray paint.

In GenShapr, you can create a cake topper from an image and prepare it as an STL file for printing. For this Welcome Baby topper, the model includes the topper design and the stick that will go into the cake.

For plaque-style toppers, I also add pins on the back so the piece can attach to the front of the cake.

Prepare the Spray Paint Area #

I always do this step outside and try to choose a day without much wind. Give the spray can a good shake before painting.

For this project, I used Rust-Oleum metallic gold spray paint. It is made for home decor and indoor projects, and it gave the topper a bright shiny gold finish.

To keep paint off the deck or table, put down cardboard first. I used a cardboard fruit box, which worked well because it gave me a contained area for spraying.

Spray the Decorative Part #

I only paint the decorative top of the cake topper and leave the section that goes into the cake unpainted. Usually one or two light coats are enough.

Use light coats instead of trying to cover everything heavily at once. The topper changes from plain white to metallic gold very quickly.

After painting, the Welcome Baby topper had a beautiful gold finish while the stick stayed white.

Paint a Plaque-Style Topper #

For the second topper, I painted only the front side because it will be attached to the front part of the cake. The process is the same: shake the can, spray lightly, and let it dry.

This topper also changed from white PLA to a soft metallic gold finish.

Drying, Smell, and Finish #

One thing I was concerned about was the smell. Fortunately, the smell was only noticeable right after spraying. After about an hour, it was completely gone.

Once the topper fully dried, the finish felt durable. It did not transfer or leave residue on my fingers.

Final Thoughts #

This technique opened up a new category of products for me without requiring additional expensive equipment. If you already make 3D printed cake toppers and want a better gold finish than gold PLA, printing in white PLA and spray painting the decorative part is definitely worth trying.

Happy crafting!